Recording device

Abstract

Three waveform generators are provided in order to generate three kinds of basic waveform signals. The waveform generators generate the basic waveform signals in correspondence with parameter data inputted from a parameter register. A head driver selects one waveform signal from the basic waveform signals based on image information, and outputs a driving pulse of the same waveform to a corresponding driving element.

1. A recording device, comprising:
 a recording mode setting unit setting a recording mode among a plurality of recording modes; 
 a parameter setting unit setting, according to the set recording mode, one set of parameter signals among a plurality of sets of parameter signals, the plurality of sets of parameter signals corresponding to the plurality of recording modes, respectively, each set of parameter signals including several parameter signals; 
 a waveform generating unit receiving the one set of parameter signals set by the parameter setting unit and producing, based on the received one set of parameter signals, one set of waveforms among a plurality of sets of waveforms, the plurality of sets of waveforms corresponding to the plurality of recording modes, respectively, each set of waveforms including several waveforms; 
 a plurality of selection units, each selection unit selecting, based on pixel image information, one of the several waveforms which are produced by the waveform generating unit; and 
 a plurality of recording elements which are provided in one to one correspondence with the plurality of selection units, each recording element being supplied with a driving pulse of the one waveform selected by the corresponding selection unit, thereby performing a corresponding dot recording operation. 
 
   
   
     2. A recording device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the waveform generating unit includes several waveform generating circuits, each waveform generating circuit receiving a corresponding parameter signal in the one set of parameter signals and producing a signal of one waveform that corresponds to the received parameter signal. 
   
   
     3. A recording device as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the parameter setting unit includes a parameter holding unit which holds, in a rewritable manner, one set of parameter signals in correspondence with the set recording mode, and which outputs the one set of parameter signal to the waveform generating unit. 
   
   
     4. A recording device as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the parameter setting unit includes:
 a parameter memory which stores the plurality sets of parameter signals in correspondence with the plurality of recording modes, each set of parameter signal including several parameter signals in correspondence with the several waveform generating units; and 
 a parameter selector which selects the one set of parameter signals based on the set recording mode, and which outputs the selected one set of parameter signals to the waveform generating unit. 
 
   
   
     5. A recording device as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of recording modes includes: a multi-tone recording mode for recording images in a plurality of different tones; and a high speed recording mode for recording dots at a high speed. 
   
   
     6. A recording device as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a main body which includes a main-body side controller; 
 a carriage which is moved relative to the main body in a main scanning direction; and 
 a recording head unit mounted on the carriage, the recording head unit including the plurality of recording elements and a head driving circuit, 
 wherein the recording mode setting unit is provided in the main-body side controller, and the plurality of selection units are provided in the head driving circuit. 
 
   
   
     7. A recording device as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the recording head unit and the waveform generating unit are mounted on a carriage board, which is provided on the carriage. 
   
   
     8. A recording device as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the recording head unit and the waveform generating unit are mounted on a carnage board, which is provided in the recording head unit. 
   
   
     9. A recording device as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the waveform generating unit is provided on a connecting board, which is detachably mounted on the carriage in electrical connection with the recording head unit and the main-body side controller. 
   
   
     10. A recording device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the waveform generating unit repeatedly produces the one set of waveforms based on the received one set of parameter signals, each selection unit selecting one of the several waveforms included in the one set of waveforms based on pixel image information. 
   
   
     11. A recording device, comprising:
 a main body which includes a main-body side controller, the main-body side controller being provided with a recording mode setting unit and a parameter setting unit, the recording mode setting unit setting a recording mode among a plurality of recording modes, the parameter setting unit setting, according to the set recording mode, one set of parameter signals among a plurality of sets of parameter signals, the plurality of sets of parameter signals corresponding to the plurality of recording modes, respectively, each set of parameter signals including several parameter signals; 
 a connecting board which includes a waveform generating unit, the waveform generating unit receiving the one set of parameter signals set by the parameter setting unit and producing several waveforms based on the received one set of parameter signals, the waveform generating unit including several waveform generating circuits, each waveform generating circuit receiving a corresponding parameter signal in the one set of parameter signals and producing one waveform that corresponds to the received parameter signal; 
 a carriage which is moved relative to the main body in a main scanning direction; and 
 a recording head unit mounted on the carriage, the recording head unit including a plurality of selection units and a plurality of recording elements, each selection unit selecting, based on pixel image information, one of the several waveforms which are produced by the waveform generating unit, the plurality of recording elements being provided in one to one correspondence with the plurality of selection units, each recording element being supplied with the one waveform selected by the corresponding selection unit, thereby performing a corresponding dot recording operation, 
 wherein the connecting board is detachably mounted on the carriage in electrical connection with the recording head unit and the main-body side controller. 
 
   
   
     12. A recording device, comprising:
 a main body which includes a main-body side controller, the main-body side controller storing pixel image information; 
 a connecting board which includes a waveform generating unit for producing signals of several waveforms, the connecting board including a data path for receiving the pixel image information from the main body; 
 a carriage which is moved relative to the main body in a main scanning direction; and 
 a recording head unit mounted on the carriage, the recording head unit including a plurality of selection units and a plurality of recording elements, each selection unit receiving the pixel image information from the data path in the connecting board and selecting, based on the received pixel image information, one of the several waveform signals which are produced by the waveform generating unit, the plurality of recording elements being provided in one to one correspondence with the plurality of selection units, each recording element being supplied with the one waveform signal selected by the corresponding selection unit, thereby performing a corresponding dot recording operation, 
 wherein the connecting board is detachably mounted on the carriage in electrical connection with the recording head unit and the main-body side controller. 
 
   
   
     13. A recording device, comprising:
 a main body transporting a recording medium; 
 a carnage scanned in a main scanning direction with respect to the recording medium; 
 a recording head which is mounted on the carriage and which is provided with a plurality of driving elements, each driving element performing dot-shaped recording on the recording medium upon receipt of a driving pulse; 
 a driver circuit outputting the driving pulse to each of the plurality of driving elements; 
 a controller controlling the driver circuit to output the driving pulse by transmitting a driving signal, representative of image information, to the driver circuit; 
 a parameter input unit inputting parameter data corresponding to a current one of a plurality of recording conditions; and 
 a waveform generating unit generating, according to the received parameter data, one set of waveforms among a plurality of sets of waveforms, the plurality of sets of waveforms corresponding to the plurality of recording conditions, respectively, each set of waveforms including several waveforms 
 the waveform generating unit including several waveform generators, each waveform generator generating a corresponding one of the several waveforms included in the one set of waveforms according to the received parameter data, the driver circuit including a waveform selector selecting, for each of the plurality of driving elements, one of the several waveforms included in the one set of waveforms based on the driving signal supplied from the controller and producing the driving pulse of the selected waveform. 
 
   
   
     14. A recording device as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the parameter input unit inputs the parameter data corresponding to the current recording mode among a plurality of recording modes. 
   
   
     15. A recording device as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the parameter data for each recording mode indicates the several waveforms for the subject recording mode. 
   
   
     16. A recording device as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the parameter input unit includes a parameter holding unit which holds, in a rewritable manner, one set of parameter data in correspondence with the current recording mode, and which outputs the one set of parameter data to the several waveform generators. 
   
   
     17. A recording device as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the parameter input unit includes:
 a parameter memory which stores a plurality sets of parameter data in correspondence with the plurality of recording modes, each set of parameter data including several pieces of parameter data in correspondence with the several waveform generators; and 
 a parameter selector which selects the one set of parameter data based on the current recording mode, and which outputs the selected one set of parameter data to the waveform generators. 
 
   
   
     18. A recording device as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of recording modes includes: a multi-tone recording mode for recording images in a plurality of different tones; and a high speed recording mode for recording dots at a high speed. 
   
   
     19. A recording device as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein each of the several waveform generators repeatedly generates the corresponding one of the several waveforms according to the received parameter data, the waveform selector selecting, for each driving element, one of the several waveforms based on the driving signal. 
   
   
     20. A recording device, comprising:
 a main body transporting a recording medium; 
 a carriage scanned in a main scanning direction with respect to the recording medium; 
 a recording head which is mounted on the carriage and which is provided with a plurality of driving elements, each driving element performing dot-shaped recording on the recording medium upon receipt of a driving pulse; 
 a driver circuit mounted on either one of the recording head and the carriage, the driver circuit outputting the driving pulse to each of the plurality of driving elements; 
 a main-body side controller, mounted in the main body, controlling the driver circuit to output the driving pulse by transmitting a driving signal, representative of image information, to the driver circuit; 
 a connecting board mounted on the carriage and connected between the driver circuit and the main-body side controller; and 
 several waveform generators, mounted on the connecting board, generating several waveforms, the driver circuit including a waveform selector selecting, for each of the plurality of driving elements, one of the several waveforms based on the driving signal supplied from the main-body controller, and producing the driving pulse of the selected waveform. 
 
   
   
     21. A recording device as claimed in  claim 20 , further comprising
 a parameter input unit inputting, to the several waveform generators, one set of parameter data corresponding to the present recording mode among a plurality of recording modes, the parameter input unit being provided on the connecting board, the several waveform generators generating the several waveforms that correspond to the received set of parameter data. 
 
   
   
     22. A recording device as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the parameter input unit includes a parameter holding unit, which is mounted on the connecting board and which holds, in a rewritable manner, one set of parameter data in correspondence with the present recording mode, and which outputs the one set of parameter data to the several waveform generators. 
   
   
     23. A recording device as claimed in  claim 21 , further comprising:
 a parameter memory which stores a plurality sets of parameter data in correspondence with the plurality of recording modes, each set of parameter data including several pieces of parameter data in correspondence with the several waveform generators; and 
 a parameter selector which selects the one set of parameter data based on the present recording mode, and which outputs the selected one set of parameter data to the waveform generators. 
 
   
   
     24. A recording device as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the parameter memory and the parameter selector are provided in the main-body side controller. 
   
   
     25. A recording device as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the plurality of recording modes includes: a multi-tone recording mode for recording images in a plurality of different tones; and a high speed recording mode for recording dots at a high speed. 
   
   
     26. A recording device, comprising:
 a recording mode setting unit setting a recording mode among a plurality of recording modes; 
 a parameter setting unit setting, according to the set recording mode, one set of parameter signals among a plurality of sets of parameter signals, the plurality of sets of parameter signals corresponding to the plurality of recording modes respectively, each set of parameter signals including several parameter signals; 
 a waveform generating unit receiving the one set of parameter signals set by the parameter setting unit and generating, based on the received one set of parameter signals, one set of waveforms among a plurality of sets of waveforms, the plurality of sets of waveforms corresponding to the plurality of recording modes, respectively, each set of waveforms including a plurality of waveforms; 
 a plurality of waveform selecting units, each waveform selecting unit receiving pixel information and the plurality of waveforms being generated by the waveform generating unit, and each of the plurality of waveform selecting units selecting, based on the received pixel image information, one of the plurality of waveforms being received, and outputting the selected one of the plurality of waveforms; and 
 a plurality of recording elements, each recording element being supplied with a driving pulse based on the selected one of the plurality of waveforms being outputted by a corresponding one of the plurality of waveform selecting units, thereby performing a corresponding dot recording operation.